<b>And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him (Exod. 31:18).</b> Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: <i>Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive. Thou hast received gifts among men</i> (Ps. 68:19). Normally a man accepts gifts of silver and gold and garments from his neighbor in the hope that he might win his neighbor’s affection, but you Moses have taken captivity captive, that is, you have captured the Torah, which is in the midst of My heart.<sup class="footnote-marker">25</sup><i class="footnote">Moses did not simply receive a gift from God but captured it, that is took the Torah himself.</i> Hence, <i>Thou hast led captivity captive. Thou hast received gifts among men</i>.
R. Ze’era said: The laws of uncleanness apply to human beings: To men: <i>When any man hath an issue out of his flesh</i> (Lev. 15:2), and to women: <i>If a woman have an issue</i> (ibid., v. 19). This is the law: <i>When a man dieth in a tent, everything shall be unclean</i> (Num. 19:14). <i>Thou art fairer than the children of men</i> (Ps. 45:3). Moses is merely <i>called</i> human (but his essence is of a higher level). In what way? The Holy One, blessed be He, causes death and restores to life, He casts men into the pit and brings them out again, and Moses did likewise. He cast Korah and his followers, while still alive, into the pit, as it is said: <i>So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit</i> (Num. 16:32). The Holy One, blessed be He, issued a decree, but he (Moses) caused it to be revoked, as is written: <i>Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach</i> (Ps. 106:23). <i>Grace is poured upon thy lips</i> (ibid. 45:3) indicates that he spoke in their defense, as it is said: <i>And Moses besought the Lord</i> (Exod. 32:11), and <i>He did not depart until the Lord repented</i> (ibid., v. 14).
Another explanation of <i>Thou art fairer than the children of men</i>. This refers to Abraham, for the Holy One, blessed be He, did not speak to any generation prior to his, as it is stated: <i>And God said unto Abraham</i> (Gen. 17:19). <i>Grace is poured upon thy lips</i> is said because he pleaded in behalf of the Sodomites: <i>That be far from Thee (halilah) to do after this manner</i> (ibid. 18:25). Some say <i>That be far from Thee</i> would be a profanation of Thy name (<i>halil shemkha</i>) to do this, while others say it means to be set aside (<i>halelah</i>), as in the case of an unchaste woman who is set aside. R. Huna said: It would be a profanation of the name of God if He were to destroy the righteous with the wicked, for men would then say: He did this to the generation of Enoch (which suffered a flood), the generation of the flood,<sup class="footnote-marker">26</sup><i class="footnote">All were punished, righteous or not.</i> (and) the generation of the dispersion<sup class="footnote-marker">27</sup><i class="footnote">Punishment for building the Tower of Babel, though all were not involved.</i> (Gen. 11:1–9), for they refrained from repenting. <i>Grace is poured upon thy lips</i> implies that you should be convinced that it (the law) will go forth from your descendants, since I gave him the Torah and he will teach it to your descendants, as is said: <i>He gave unto Moses</i>.